Expanded AI Model with Global Data Enhances Earth Science Applications 

NASA, IBM, and Forschungszentrum Jülich have released an expanded version of the open-source Prithvi Geospatial artificial intelligence (AI) foundation model to support a broader range of geographical applications. Now, with the inclusion of global data, the foundation model can support tracking changes in land use, monitoring disasters, and predicting crop yields worldwide. 

The Prithvi Geospatial foundation model, first released in August 2023 by NASA and IBM, is pre-trained on NASA’s Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset and learns by filling in masked information. The model is available on Hugging Face, a data science platform where machine learning developers openly build, train, deploy, and share models. Because NASA releases data, products, and research in the open, businesses and commercial entities can take these models and transform them into marketable products and services that generate economic value. 

“We’re excited about the downstream applications that are made possible with the addition of global HLS data to the Prithvi Geospatial foundation model. We’ve embedded NASA’s scientific expertise directly into these foundation models, enabling them to quickly translate petabytes of data into actionable insights,” said Kevin Murphy, NASA chief science data officer. “It’s like having a powerful assistant that leverages NASA’s knowledge to help make faster, more informed decisions, leading to economic and societal benefits.”

AI foundation models are pre-trained on large datasets with self-supervised learning techniques, providing flexible base models that can be fine-tuned for domain-specific downstream tasks.

Focusing on diverse land use and ecosystems, researchers selected HLS satellite images that represented various landscapes while avoiding lower-quality data caused by clouds or gaps. Urban areas were emphasized to ensure better coverage, and strict quality controls were applied to create a large, well-balanced dataset. The final dataset is significantly larger than previous versions, offering improved global representation and reliability for environmental analysis. These methods created a robust and representative dataset, ideal for reliable model training and analysis. 

The Prithvi Geospatial foundation model has already proven valuable in several applications, including post-disaster flood mapping and detecting burn scars caused by fires.

One application, the Multi-Temporal Cloud Gap Imputation, leverages the foundation model to reconstruct the gaps in satellite imagery caused by cloud cover, enabling a clearer view of Earth’s surface over time. This approach supports a variety of applications, including environmental monitoring and agricultural planning.  

Another application, Multi-Temporal Crop Segmentation, uses satellite imagery to classify and map different crop types and land cover across the United States. By analyzing time-sequenced data and layering U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Crop Data, Prithvi Geospatial can accurately identify crop patterns, which in turn could improve agricultural monitoring and resource management on a large scale. 

The flood mapping dataset can classify flood water and permanent water across diverse biomes and ecosystems, supporting flood management by training models to detect surface water. 

Wildfire scar mapping combines satellite imagery with wildfire data to capture detailed views of wildfire scars shortly after fires occurred. This approach provides valuable data for training models to map fire-affected areas, aiding in wildfire management and recovery efforts.

This model has also been tested with additional downstream applications including estimation of gross primary productivity, above ground biomass estimation, landslide detection, and burn intensity estimations. 

“The updates to this Prithvi Geospatial model have been driven by valuable feedback from users of the initial version,” said Rahul Ramachandran, AI foundation model for science lead and senior data science strategist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “This enhanced model has also undergone rigorous testing across a broader range of downstream use cases, ensuring improved versatility and performance, resulting in a version of the model that will empower diverse environmental monitoring applications, delivering significant societal benefits.”

The Prithvi Geospatial Foundation Model was developed as part of an initiative of NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer to unlock the value of NASA’s vast collection of science data using AI. NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT), based at Marshall, IBM Research, and the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum, Jülich, designed the foundation model on the supercomputer Jülich Wizard for European Leadership Science (JUWELS), operated by Jülich Supercomputing Centre. This collaboration was facilitated by IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society.  

For more information about NASA’s strategy of developing foundation models for science, visit https://science.nasa.gov/artificial-intelligence-science.

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Lagniappe for December 2024

4 Min Read

Lagniappe for December 2024

Explore Lagniappe for December 2024 featuring:

• NASA Stennis Secures Grant for Clean Energy Project
• Powering Space Dreams
• NASA Builds Bridges at Bayou Classic

Gator Speaks

Do you have time for a quick story?

Recently, your ol‘ friend Gator had the chance to help his family move.

This move was not the same as going to the Moon or Mars like NASA’s planned Artemis adventure, but it felt similar.

The move brought friends, family, and even some neighbors together to help. Each person took on a role in an organized way to help make it happen.

Some packed, others cleaned, and all contributed in some way, with each person bringing his or her special touch to the project.

We were not just working hard. We were making the most of it.

It became more than work. It turned into a celebration of friends and family coming together to make something good happen. There was something truly rewarding about seeing everyone pitch in to make it a success.

While this move will not take us to the Moon like the Artemis campaign, it is hard not to see similarities. When NASA returns to the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world while preparing for human missions to Mars, it will be a success for all of us to share in.

Through Artemis, NASA is bringing together commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Here at NASA Stennis, many are working hard to help prepare the agency for future Artemis missions, testing needed rocket engines and systems.

Going back to the Moon has become more than work, though. It is inspiring a new generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation.

Every person is playing a role. It is bringing together friends, family, and neighbors to help. All are contributing, with each person bringing a special touch to the mission.

It is a celebration of each step forward, each rocket launched, each mission accomplishment. Each milestone reminds us all – “Wow, we really did that. We are a part of something great.”

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NASA Stennis Top News

NASA Stennis Secures Grant for Clean Energy Project

NASA’s Stennis Space Center has been awarded a highly competitive U.S. Department of Energy grant to transform its main administration building into a facility that produces as much renewable energy as it uses.

Powering Space Dreams

As the nation’s largest multiuser propulsion test site, NASA Stennis supports and helps power both national and commercial space efforts and missions.

NASA Builds Bridges at Bayou Classic

NASA was on full display during the 51st Annual Bayou Classic Fan Fest activity on Nov. 30, hosting an informational booth and interacting with event participants.

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Center Activities

Outreach Event Promotes Doing Business with NASA

College Students Visit NASA Stennis

NASA Stennis Hosts Voluntary Protection Program Council Meeting

NASA Stennis Director Hosts Java with John

NASA Stennis Leaders Host U.S. Marine Personnel

U.S. Navy Officials Visit with NASA Stennis Leaders

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NASA in the News

• NASA, SpaceX Illustrate Key Moments of Artemis Lunar Lander Mission – NASA
• NASA Plans to Assign Missions for Two Future Artemis Cargo Landers – NASA
• Discovery Alert: A Rare Glimpse of a Newborn Planet – NASA Science

Employee Profile: Jeff Renshaw

NASA attorney Jeff Renshaw’s work has primarily revolved around two things: serving others and solving problems.

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Additional Resources

• Good Things with Rebecca Turner – SuperTalk Mississippi (interview with NASA Stennis Director John Bailey)

Subscription Info

Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail).

The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin.

To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address.

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LaToya Dean

NASA Attorney Enjoys Serving Others and Contributing to the Team Mission

NASA attorney Jeff Renshaw’s work has primarily revolved around two things: serving others and solving problems.

The New Orleans native retired as an U.S. Air Force judge advocate following more than two decades of service. Renshaw now has worked for more than eight years as an attorney advisor at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

As the nation’s largest multiuser propulsion test site, NASA Stennis supports and helps power both national and commercial space efforts and missions. Any activity at NASA Stennis is authorized by some form of written agreement. The Office of General Counsel, which Renshaw is a part of, works to ensure that work is conducted appropriately.

“I’m dedicated to being the best public civil servant I can be,” Renshaw said. “In this position, you are representing your client, which is NASA, the federal government, and the taxpayers, so it is important for me to stay updated with the latest legal developments to be the best advocate and advisor I can be.” 

As lead attorney for procurement law, the Metairie, Louisiana, resident works alongside the Office of Procurement serving both NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center.

Some of Renshaw’s work includes reviewing Space Act contract agreements for commercial companies that use NASA Stennis facilities, along with activities for some of the more than 50 federal, state, academic, public, and private aerospace, technology, and research organizations that are part of the NASA Stennis federal city.

Renshaw is motivated to be an expert in his line of work – whether deployed as a U.S. Air Force procurement law attorney to Baghdad, the Horn of Africa, and Afghanistan, or working at NASA to help the nation return to the Moon. He spends a lot of time with NASA engineers to understand the in-and-outs of ongoing projects since any activity happening onsite involves the Office of General Counsel.

In addition to the U.S. Air Force, Renshaw has served in other legal profession roles, including as a law clerk for a Louisiana district court judge and a position in the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office. He said working for NASA gives him the opportunity to focus on his area of expertise, while being involved in the agency’s great mission of exploration and discovery.

“I love NASA, and it is good to feel part of the team and to know that you are contributing to the mission,” he said.

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LaToya Dean

White Sands Test Facility Encourages Locals to Leave Their Footprint on the Space Industry

At the edge of Las Cruces, New Mexico, surrounded by miles of sunbaked earth, NASA’s White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is quietly shaping the future. There is no flash, no fanfare — the self-contained facility operates as it has since 1962, humbly and in relative obscurity.

Yet as New Mexico’s space industry skyrockets amid intensifying commercial spaceflight efforts across the state, WSTF feels a new urgency to connect with the community. With the facility’s latest Test and Evaluation Support Team (TEST3) contract now in its third year, Program Manager Michelle Meerscheidt is determined to make a mark.

“I think it’s very important we increase our public presence,” Meerscheidt said. “We are a significant contributor to NASA’s mission and our country’s aspirations for furthering space exploration.”

In September, TEST3 leadership joined forces with the City of Las Cruces to support the sixth annual Las Cruces Space Festival, a two-weekend celebration of the region’s rich relationship with the aerospace industry.

Alongside WSTF, festival director Alice Carruth is working to open a world that many believe is off limits and others don’t know exists.

“Unless you’re driving over the mountains regularly and seeing the sign that says, ‘The Birthplace of the U.S. Space and Missile Program,’ you don’t tend to know what’s going on in your backyard,”  Carruth said.

“The whole premise of the Space Festival is to make people understand what’s going on in their community, to encourage people to think about careers in the space industry, and to inspire the next generation.”

A featured speaker at the festival’s New Mexico State University Astronomy & Industry Night, Meerscheidt had the chance to do just that.

“It’s fun to see a lot of young kids that are wide-eyed and excited,” Meerscheidt said. “It’s nice to be able to encourage them to pursue their dreams.”

Among those wide-eyed festivalgoers was 6-year-old Camilla Medina-Bond, who was confident in her vision for the future.

“I want to be an astronaut when I grow up,” she said. “I want to visit the Moon.”

As for the details of her lunar mission, Medina-Bond’s plan is simple: “Just going to see what’s on it.” She has plenty of time to figure out the specifics — after all, giant leaps start with small steps. According to Meerscheidt, the aspiring astronaut has already taken the first and most critical step.

“That’s what NASA is all about,” Meerscheidt said. “Explore, be inquisitive. Open your mind, open your imagination, and go for it.”

Medina-Bond’s aspiration is shared by many young dreamers. A 2024 global study by longtime NASA partner, the LEGO Group, found 77% of kids ages 4-14 want to travel to space.

Carruth acknowledged that keeping the attention of today’s always-scrolling, trend-driven generation is not easy, and that children’s fascination with space often wanes as they age.

“If you look at the statistics, space tends to be really cool until they get to middle school level, and then space isn’t cool anymore — not because it’s not cool, but because it then becomes inaccessible to a lot of students,” she said.

Still, Carruth is prepared to navigate the challenge.

“I want kids to understand that space is for everybody,” Carruth said. “I also want their parents and grandparents to understand why space is important and that this is a feasible career.”

Oscar Castrejon, who attended the festival with his 12-year-old son, Oscar Jr., is on his own mission to nurture that understanding. “I’ve learned early kids need to develop their own passions, but if they say ‘hey, I like this, I’m interested in it,’ then I’ll take them to it,” Castrejon said. “If their eyes get opened, if their imagination gets sparked, you never know — you could be looking at the next NASA scientist.”

WSTF TEST3 Deputy Program Manager and Business Manager Karen Lucht shares Castrejon’s philosophy, emphasizing the importance of authenticity.

“Speak[ing] to who you are as a person will ultimately lead to who you will become as a professional,” she said.

A remote test site, WSTF has its own ecosystem which Lucht compares to a “small city.” Among its residents are scientists and engineers, but also welders, writers, firefighters, and photographers — to name a few.

“White Sands offers endless opportunities for everybody,” Lucht said. “Every career has a path here.”

Lucht’s own journey illustrates the infinite potential that arises in diverse spaces like WSTF.

“I came from a town of less than a thousand people, and I never dreamt that I would work for NASA,” she said. “As someone who was told many times that I would never make it to my position, I look back on my career and realize there are no restraints. You really can do anything you want to do.”

For those wanting to join the ranks at WSTF, there is one important requirement: they must see themselves as stardust, a vital element in a grand cosmic plan.

“We’re looking for people who have the right perspective, the desire to learn and contribute to something bigger than themselves,” Lucht said.

At WSTF — a place where the stars feel close enough to touch — the sky is not the limit, it is only the beginning.

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Linda E. Grimm

Astronaut Suni Williams and Astrobee

In this picture from Nov. 15, 2024, Astronaut Suni Williams imitates the tentacle-like arms of the Astrobee robotic free-flyer in the foreground.

Astrobee robots help astronauts reduce time they spend on routine duties, leaving them to focus more on the things that only humans can do. Working autonomously or via remote control by astronauts, flight controllers or researchers on the ground, the robots are designed to complete tasks such as taking inventory, documenting experiments conducted by astronauts with their built-in cameras or working together to move cargo throughout the station. In addition, the system serves as a research platform that can be outfitted and programmed to carry out experiments in microgravity – helping us to learn more about how robotics can benefit astronauts in space.

Image credit: NASA

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Monika Luabeya